2009 Bowling Green NCAA Football Predictions
The 2008 Bowling Green Falcons finished the season 6-6 with a 4-4 mark in MAC play. They wasted no time proving that they should be taken seriously by defeating Pittsburgh 27-17 on the road in Week 1. The win marked the second straight season that the Falcons had defeated a team from a BCS conference. They still managed to underachieve with losses to 3-9 Eastern Michigan and 2-10 Miami Ohio setting them back. Will the Falcons get over the .500 mark in 2009 or will they sink below it? Find out where I have them finishing in the MAC East in this college football betting preview. Our readers receive a $500 match bonus at BetUS!
Offense - The Toledo Rockets executed the spread very well in 2008, scoring 27.7 points per game (44th in the nation) and averaging 225.8 yards per game through the air (48th in the nation). But new head coach Dave Clawson is going to do away with it in favor of his hybrid West Coast offense. The biggest changes you can expect to see are more two-back formations and QB Tyler Sheehan taking more snaps from under center as opposed to out of the gun. Sheehan is coming off a season in which he threw for 2,610 yards and 20 touchdowns. He ran for seven more scores on top of it. Plus, he is efficient. His 66.8 percent completion rate in 2008 was the second best ever at Bowling Green. He has the arm and the intelligence to live up to expectations in Clawson’s new offensive look.
The backfield features a nice thunder and lightning tandem in Chris Bullock and Willie Geter. Both backs figure to be more productive in the new offense. The No. 1 wide receiver is Freddie Barnes, who has 123 grabs over the last two seasons. Tight end Jimmy Scheidler is useful in the passing game also and proved so with two touchdown grabs against Pitt.
The same five lineman started all 12 games for the Falcons last season, but after losing one side of the line to graduation, the team will have to depend on some new blood up front.
Defense – There isn’t a whole lot of experience returning on the defense, especially up front. Senior nosetackle Mike Ream would have been the only returning starter on the defensive line, but he was booted off the team in the spring. Character issues have been a problem with this program in the recent past and that move made it clear that Clawson isn’t about to put up with any crap. Now the Falcons will rely on a bunch of players who were backups in 2008 to become starters up front this season.
With an unproven defensive line, the linebacker unit’s performance becomes that much more critical. Much of the weight will fall on the shoulders of Jerett Sanderson, who finished last season with 68 stops, two picks, and eight pass breakups.
If the Falcons had a good defensive line it would be nearly impossible to pass on them. The pass defense allowed only 180.8 yards per game in 2008 (21st in the nation). Safeties Jahmal Brown and P.J. Mahone are back. Mahone is a stud. He led the Falcons with 95 tackles and added three picks last season.
Prediction: 4th MAC East – The Falcons could very well be 0-4 before MAC play begins with Troy, Missouri, Marshall, and Boise State to start the season. The defense will make or break the Falcons and unfortunately I think it will break them. Bet MAC football at Bookmaker and get a 20 percent cash sign up bonus!
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